


As the Dust Settles

by Lizardbeth



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avenger Loki (Marvel), Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Fluff, Gen, Loki (Marvel) Lives, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-15 08:37:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18495331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizardbeth/pseuds/Lizardbeth
Summary: After the war against Thanos, Steve notices there's something wrong with Loki.





	As the Dust Settles

**Author's Note:**

> Birthday ficlet for the marvelous gaslightgallows!
> 
> From the prompt "You heard me. Take. It. Off." (This is not as sexy as that prompt would suggest however, lol. sorry, no smut!)

“You heard me. Take. It. Off.”

Steve still didn’t know Loki that well, even after fighting together, but the grin that Loki flashed in response was far too bright to be real. “Really, Captain?” he drawled. “Here? I had no idea you were such an exhibitionist.”

Steve folded his arms. “I saw the spear hit you.” 

“It was a glaive,” Loki corrected. “Shouldn’t a primitive planet be able to distinguish--”

“I saw,” Steve repeated. “It hit you, you staggered and went down.”

“And I pulled it out and stood up to keep fighting. I am not so fragile as you apparently believe.” Loki’s eyes narrowed and his chin tilted in offense, and Steve wasn’t sure if he was truly offended or simply provoking a fight.

“I don’t believe--”

“Then believe me when I tell you I’m fine,” Loki insisted. 

“Then why is there fresh blood on your armor?” Steve swiped up the red stain from the table where Loki had been surreptitiously leaning and displayed his fingers. 

Loki’s eyes darted from the red-stained fingers, to where Thor was talking with Tony and Gamora, through the open double doors. “Shush!” he hissed at Steve. “Don’t tell him, he will be insufferable.”

That made Steve smile. Thor had been a little overprotective since Loki and Nebula had turned up together, a little worse the wear, but still living. 

“I won’t tell him, if you let me look at the wound.” 

Loki gnawed on his lip, grimacing and casting looks between Thor and Steve as if judging which would be more annoying, before he decided to take Steve’s bargain. He snapped out a hand and the doors swung shut, hiding them from the rest of the party.

With another gesture, he sent half of his clothes... away, leaving him bare above the low waist of his leather trousers. He was slender, having none of Thor’s bulk, but without the armor, the taut lean musculature of a swimmer or dancer was visible and made plain what Steve had felt in that fight in Stuttgart years ago.

But all thoughts of his strength were wiped away as he realized what he was seeing. Steve’s eyes widened. “Jesus, what the hell happened to you?” 

He’d expected the gut wound - a raw open puncture, oozing blood under his rib cage. He did not expect the scar in the middle of Loki’s chest, as big as Steve’s palm, and still pink and tender-looking. He had once been stabbed in the chest, and unless his people kept his heart somewhere else in their bodies, he should be dead with a hole that size right there.

Loki looked down as if he wasn’t sure what Steve was talking about. “Oh, that. Kursed blades are funny things. It kept me alive, but it healed poorly.” He held a hand over the other wound. “This one will heal, too, Captain. You need not be concerned.” 

Steve smiled, hearing echoes of himself long ago (” _I’m fine, Buck, stop hovering, it’s nothing. _”). “I’m sure. But I’m here, we have bandages. It’ll heal better if I tend it.”__

__Loki frowned at him. “You would do that? After--” His expression faltered, and he looked down, as long fingers toyed with the string of his waistband._ _

__Steve’s hand closed on his shoulder and kept it there, until Loki’s eyes lifted to his. “After you became an Avenger.”_ _

__Loki stilled, at first wary as if he expected the words to hold some hidden sting, but when he realized Steve meant it, his tension melted away and a slight but genuine smile crinkled the corners of his eyes._ _

__It didn’t stay; the delight was soon tucked behind a wider smile and a sardonic tone, “By all means, tend away, Captain.”_ _

__But Steve remembered what he’d seen and resolved to see that smile again. Somehow._ _


End file.
